Toasting Your Health May Be Riskier Than You Think
By Sandy Schroeder
Holiday cheer, ranging from champagne toasts, to party punch, wine, cocktails and beer, just seems to go hand-in-hand with the season, but there are significant risks.
RadioMD.com says one night of holiday partying may not matter, but drinking your way through the holidays with binge drinking could lead to alcoholism and ongoing brain/body damage. Binge drinking is considered having five drinks for men or four for women within two hours or so.
Consequences
Heavy drinking loads up the liver, triggers accidents, and can lead to dangerous new drinking habits. It also opens the door to other serious risks.
Holiday heart syndrome happens - New Jersey medical teams noted large numbers of irregular heart beats showing up during the holidays in people who previously had no heart trouble. The most common arrhythmia that appeared was atrial fibrillation, which increases the chance of stroke and often leads to lifelong use of blood thinners. Heavy drinking can also boost blood pressure and stretch or droop the heart muscle.
Alcohol poisoning is a risk - Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that causes nausea and vomiting, slows breathing, drops the body's core temperature and can cause seizures. Size, weight, age, overall health and amount of food in the system can all impact the risk
More Impacts
Heavy drinking plays out throughout the body
Cancer risk increases - The risk of the following cancers go up with heavy drinking: mouth, throat, liver, esophagus, and breast.
Liver damage - Heavy drinking can cause liver failure over time, with fatty liver, fibrosis, cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis occurring.
Immune system weakens - Heavy bouts of drinking can reduce the body's ability to fight infection. Pneumonia and tuberculosis may be more likely.
Setting Limits to Enjoy the Season
Here are a few ways to safely navigate the holidays
- Fill up your glass with soda (or better yet, water) and skip the alcohol
- Alternate other events with holiday parties
- Arrive late and leave early
- Know your limits and stick with them
- Hang out with the moderate drinkers
- Have alternate excuses lined up when drinking accelerates
- Alternate glasses of water with drinks
- Take someone along who can help monitor your drinking
- Pace drinking, limiting yourself to one drink an hour
- Opt for wine or beer instead of cocktails
- Eat while drinking using starchy foods to reduce the impact
- Avoid punch or other mixed drinks with unknown alcohol content
- Never mix energy drinks with alcohol, which tends to encourage drinking
- Always have designated drivers or arrange rides
In spite of the best intentions, holiday drinking can get out of hand. Do your best to minimize it and get back on track after the holidays to minimize drinking. If you need to see your doctor, or a counselor or self-help group. Your health and the happiness of those around you depends on it.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Windermere, Fla.